Collaborating with EDF UK, University College London (UCL), and the Materials Processing Institute, the steelmaker aims to deliver net-zero steel by 2050, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and 2035.
If successful, British Steel has said it will roll out green hydrogen powered production at an industrial-scale demonstration, which could see the method taken up at its main manufacturing base in Scunthorpe, England.
It is hoped that other steel manufacturers may follow British Steel’s lead.
Lee Adcock, Environmental and Sustainability Director at British Steel, said, “As an energy intensive industry with hard-to-abate emissions, the steel industry offers the potential for large carbon dioxide emission savings through fuel switching from natural gas to hydrogen.
“This study is, therefore, a vital and hugely exciting step on our journey to developing the technology needed to transform the way we, and other steel manufacturers, operate.
“We’re extremely grateful for the government’s support and look forward to working with our partners to reduce the carbon intensity of our operations, enabling us to manufacture the clean, green steel society needs.”
The six-month study at British Steel’s Teesside Beam Mill is backed by the UK Government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
H2 View understands, the project will link into the Tees Green Hydrogen project, that will use green electricity from the nearby Teesside Offshore Wind Farm, and a new solar farm which EDF Renewables UK intends to build, to power its hydrogen electrolyser.
Read more: EDF Renewables unveils key new green hydrogen production project in Teesside, UK
Dr. Yukun Hu, Associate Professor of Infrastructure Systems at UCL, commented, “We are delighted to hear about the Industrial Fuel Switching Phase 1 project for green hydrogen in steel manufacture and look forward to working with British Steel.
“If the project is successful, the Net Zero emission solution for steel heating proposed in this project will bring a major development to the steel industry and directly contribute to the UK’s target of carbon neutral iron and steelmaking.”
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